h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Found you through doing a search for Peru. I'm due to go there in October to do a charity trek to Machu Picchu. Did you get there? Any tips on avoiding altitude sickness if you did? (That's my biggest worry - that and being vegan and wondering what on earth I'm going to be able to eat!) But what has prompted me to say Hi is that I went to school in Chemsford for a while too. Boswells - and lived in Springfield. Although it was a long time ago and I escaped (to Edinburgh Uni) as soon as I could.
On the Peru theme - have you read the Celestine Prophecy? If you have you'll understand why seeing Chelmer Village mentioned prompted me to say Hi!

Looking back on what I have written, it is pretty long and getting longer. I hope you have some patience.
Ah, Boswells. If I hadn't gone to KEGS, then I may have ended up there, as many of my primary school friends did. At the time, I lived down on the edge of Springfield, near Essex Regiment Way. Depending on how long ago you were down 'here' (I have 'escaped' to uni in Manchester) those houses may not have been built.
You're doing Macchu Pichu? And in only a couple of weeks' time? It's a good thing I caught you in time! No, really, it is a spectacular place.
If you're vegan, you can survive on boil-in-the-bag meals and (powdered) instant veggie Korma, if you can get hold of it in the UK.
Make sure you are _fit_ before you go. I didn't and ended up struggling with some other members of my group for the first couple of days. By the end, though, I really was fitter, and I could even feel it. When you lose half a stone in only five days and feel great, you know you've been through something special. Don't bother giving your equipment to a porter, they're not worth the cost. Ignore the porters going straight past you with tables, stoves and four-posters on their backs. They've been doing it for years and are _much_ better at it than you.
None of us got altitude sickness, but we took some pills to counter it. The only problem its that one of the initial effects is on the, erm, urinary system. Imagine taking an _overnight_ trip on a loudly rattling, dirty, freezing bus when you bladder is full to bursting! When we got off, half of us rushed down a side street and seemingly started a waterfall. You know how great it sometimes feels to have a slash when you really need one? Take that and treble it. We then stopped halfway up the valley on minibuses for another 'call of nature'. After that, though, the side-effect wore off and we were fine. In general, read all the advice in the Rough Guides and Lonely Planets and such, and pay attention to the leader if you have one.
On the Inca Trail, don't bother trying to keep up with you friends but travel at your own pace. As long as it is within reason, you will get to the next camping point before dusk, and they are not so big that you won't be able to find them.
Beware the heat and take precautions, although sunburn is more of a risk than heatstroke. We used iodine to purify our water, so we kept a bottle and a half full of water at all times. There are streams here and there (every few hours) so it wasn't massively risky. Just keep drinking.
The people on the Inca Trail are great. Everyone is travelling in the same direction, with the same aim, so if you say 'hola', you can be almost sure of getting a 'hola' back. If you find someone else who speaks English, feel free to chat as you walk, since it can really eat up the miles. I haven't checked what gender you are, but I noticed that the attractiveness level was well above average. I think it's a trekking thing, meaning that people are more fit, both literally and colloquially.
Do look around as you walk. It's a waste of all the great scenery to go around staring at your feet.
Good walking boots are absolutely essential. Buy them, overdraw your bank account, max out your credit card, lie, cheat and steal, but GET SOME GOOD WALKING BOOTS at all costs. Mine cost about £60 from Millets and are still just as good today, four or more years later, so it's a good investment anyway.
This is only the half of my advice. I'm sure I will think of some more stuff, and I will probably be back to you with it. Let me know how it goes, and I wish you all the best. Which charity is it?
Oh, and I've never heard of the Celestine Prophecy. What is it?

Thank you! For all that advice. (Long reply to follow - sorry.) The fact that I will be in Peru in just over a month is only just beginning to sink in. I feel totally unprepared fitness-wise. You are the third person to tell me I need to be fit to do this. I went to a get-together with all of the people doing our trek a couple of weeks ago and we had a presentation from one of the guides from the company that we are going with (the walk is for Acorns Children's Hospice Trust but Discover Adventure deal with the actual trek). He showed us some slides of worryingly steep passes (did they have to call one Dead Woman's Pass?!!!) through frighteningly high looking mountains. Up until that point I had thought I was on schedule with my training programme - now I'm not so sure. We will have porters (we don't seem to have a choice in the matter) and they also cook for us. Since I asked you, I've found out that they will do a lot of vegetable soups and stews and there is always fruit and salad available. (I am tempted to take some extra supplies though - just in case!)
I have invested in some excellent boots - after 2 total failures (that's 2 pairs not 2 boots). My first pair were too big (I have size 2 feet) and my toes could move right to the ends of my boots and I got black big toe nails after walking down Skiddaw (up was fine - down was agony). The next pair (cheap-ish, from Millets) gave me awful blisters. So I went for a special fitting at a really good shop and it turned out I need orthotic foot beds (a posh name for expensive insoles) in boots that could be stretched and shaped for my feet - which are absolute bliss. It is sooooooooo good to walk and not be in pain. I have walked the boots in well and I'm training 3 times a week at my gym (walking on an incline on the treadmill, using the stepper - that sort of stuff). I feel my fitness level is increasing - slowly - hopefully I still have time to make a difference!
The Celestine Prophecy is a book (by James Redfield) about a (fictitious - I assume) set of documents found in Peru that detail a series of insights on how to live your life to raise your energy to another level. It emphasises the importance of synchronicity and looking out for coincidences that will lead you to learn - hence my eagerness to pounce on you for advice (having searched for Peru and come up with a mention of Chelmsford!) I haven't been back to Chelmsford for over 20 years but I've recently been back in touch with a load of school friends from Boswells. I find it strange that so many of them are still living in the area - the appeal wore off (if there ever was one) for me long ago.
Thanks again for the advice and for the good wishes. I will tell you all about the trek when I get back.

*LOL* The Dead Woman's Pass would probably be the most difficult bit, if it were not for the fact that my whole body had to change shape to adapt to the walking on the first day-and-a-half. Having said that, it wasn't remendously difficult. I took it in stages, keeping myself going by saying 'I'll just round that corner and then stop for 5 minutes'. I even counted the breaks, and kept it down to less than ten between the lunch-stop field and the top of the pass. When I got to the top, I asked one of my friends how many stops they had taken, and they said none! They also arrived at the top of the pass a good couple of hours before me.
The actual trail is not actually _very_ steep anywhere, and when it is there are rough-cut stone steps to help you (mostly on the downhill stretches). The path cuts along the sides of mountains, rather than going straight up, so the steepness of the path to either side is nto really that important.
If you have to have porters, I suppose that's all right. It will certainly help on the downhill sections, when my whole body was jarred by every step due to the weight of my rucksack.
There was a thread going a couple of days ago on 'Ask h2g2' about synchronicity. Spooky.
There's now't wrong wi' Chelmsford. Especially these days. We're within striking (and commuting) distance of London, the High Street is full of good shops, there's a great big cinema, bowling, market, library, sports and swimming centre, Megazone laser games, Pitch & Putt course and so on. It's not an urban centre as such, but it certainly doesn't have many of the disadvantages one associates with city life (crime, pollution, etc.). I think it's a great place to be.

(Quick reply) How did your body change shape in a day and a half? (Did you have bits amputated?)

I speak mainly of my midriff, although my shoulders and feet took a beating.

(Longer reply) Does that mean there is hope I may come back from this trip with a super-model like figure?
I was going to write you a longer reply after looking at the Synchronicity thread. But I can't find it. However, while looking at replies to my conversations and pottering around a bit I came across one entitled 'It's a Small World...' that seemed to start off on Coincidences. Is this an example of synchronicity at work again?
On the subject of Chelmsford - I think you highlighted (highlit?) everything about it I disliked - within striking distance of London, High Street full of shops, Megazone laser games, Pitch & Putt courses (not that they were there when I was) ........ city life etc.! But - each unto his own.

What is it that you _do_ like from a place then?
Perhaps not a supermodel figure, but you may surprise yourself...

I would like to live in mountains (or at least hills). I guess I like fresh air, peace and quiet and a nice landscape to look at. But then I'm old. Don't need the bright lights and action any more.

Chelmsford has a certain amount of countryside around it, even if it is flat as the proverbial pancake.
Hills are nice, as long as I only have to climb them one at a time, and not too often.

If you lived up one you wouldn't have to climb it unless you were going home - so there would be somewhere nice and cosy to collapse once you'd achieved it!

True enough, if you're prepared to look at it that way, which I am sure I would. Another problem is that I am a keen cyclist, but not a strong one. You have no idea how steep something is until you have tried to cycle up it.

I walked up Snowdon yesterday and 2 guys past us on (or at the time - carrying) bikes. I guess it's just a matter of training

I think it's more of a matter of basic ability.

Still, I am getting better. I have cut the journey from home to lecture halls by a third, which is about 4 minutes!

There you go - you see, it is just a matter of training. You can do anything if you try hard enough.
"Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to see them come true."
xx

Well, there's dreams and then there's dreams. I'm never gonna win the Tour De France.

I'm still here - just trying to think of something encouraging to say.........

Never mind.
On an entirely different note, I went to see 'The Fast Show Live' last night. I am given to understand that both Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse are from Essex.